Reclosable Door-Latching Package

ABSTRACT

A reclosable package having a blister with an outer wall defining an article-holding cavity in communication with a cavity opening that includes a door attached by a hinge and configured to seat in the opening with engagement between the door and a cavity-opening defining side or edge helping keep the door closed. In one embodiment, the door includes an indented portion that frictionally engages at least one and preferably a plurality of cavity-opening defining side when closed. Such an indented portion can include an undercut that underlies part of the adjacent cavity-opening defining side when the door is closed having an interference fit therebetween that can be a snap fit. The package can also be configured to provide releasable engagement between part of the door and part of the blister outer wall when the door is closed that can be in the form of a bar snap.

CROSS REFERENCE

This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/392,000, filed Oct. 11, 2010, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/407,016, filed Oct. 26, 2010, the entirety of each of which is hereby expressly incorporated by reference herein.

FIELD

The present invention relates to a reclosable package and more particular to a reclosable package employing a door latching arrangement.

BACKGROUND

Packaging articles, including elongate articles, e.g., wiper blades, for retail display is a challenge. In the past, returns of non-reclosable packages resulted in many prospective customers not purchasing the return because of the appearance of tampering as it was visibly clear that the package had previously been opened. It is therefore a challenge to make a package that is reclosable so returned articles can be put back in the original package and placed back on the retail display in a state that another prospective purchaser will not realize it was returned.

In the past, reclosable packages have enjoyed great commercial success but improvements nonetheless remain desirable. It is a challenge to produce a package that maximizes internal volume for retaining the article package while minimizing external volume to optimize the amount of packages that can be displayed in a retail store. For example, in at least one known package, the package includes a door joined to a package blister by a hinge with each having a hang hole flange with ribs and troughs that interlock when the door is closed. Unfortunately, to accommodate these ribs and troughs, each hang hole flange must be made longer, undesirably increasing the amount of space the package takes up in a retail display for a given internal article holding volume.

What is needed is a reclosable package of simple and economical construction that takes up a minimum of retail display space for a given amount of packaging volume. What is also desired is a reclosable package of such a configuration that can be hung on a peg, such as by including a hang hole.

SUMMARY

The present invention is directed to a reclosable package having a reclosable door latching arrangement constructed and arranged to provide a releasable door-closed retaining engagement between part of a package door and the boundary or edge of a cavity opening in a blister of a body of the package and another part of the door and an outer wall of the blister. The door is configured with a three dimensionally contoured portion that seats in the cavity opening engaging a portion of the cavity opening boundary or edge providing a first latching arrangement when the door is closed with the engagement helping to keep the door releasably closed. One of the door and blister outer wall has at least one rib and the other one of door and blister wall has at least one rib-receiving channel that releasably receives and engages the at least one rib providing a second latching arrangement that can define a bar snap when the door is closed.

In a preferred embodiment, the door is configured with an indented portion configured to engage with a plurality of cavity opening edges when the door is closed with the indented portion seated in the cavity opening. Such an indented portion can have and preferably is configured with an undercut that underlies a portion of the endwall of the blister in which the cavity opening is formed to help releasably keep the door closed. In a preferred embodiment, the undercut underlies part of one of the cavity opening edges when the door is closed in a manner that provides an interference fit therebetween and which can result in a snap fit therebetween helping to keep the door closed. Another part of the indented portion, such as a bevel or inclined portion opposite the undercut, which engages part of another one of the cavity opening edges when the door is closed helping keep the door closed. Such engagement results in at least a friction fit between the bevel and cavity opening edge with which it engages when the door is closed. In a preferred embodiment, the undercut engages along one cavity opening edge, such that there is an interference and/or snap fit therebetween, and the beveled or inclined outer surface or edge of the indention opposite the undercut frictionally engages an opposite cavity opening defining edge. If desired, the indented portion can have a plurality of additional spaced apart bevels or inclined edges that can each also frictionally engage a corresponding cavity opening defining edge when the door is closed.

In a preferred embodiment, there is a single, transversely extending rib, i.e., male bar, formed in an outer wall of the door that is releasably received in a channel, i.e., female bar, formed in the outer wall of the blister of the package body defining a bar snap. In a preferred embodiment, the package blister is defined by a pair of sidewalls and an outer wall panel with the rib-receiving channel of the bar snap formed in the outer wall panel. The rib and rib-receiving channel can be configured to produce a snap-fit therebetween when the door is closed.

Engagement between the indented portion and a plurality cavity opening defining edges, e.g., opposed cavity opening defining edges, along with engagement between the rib and rib-receiving channel of the bar snap collectively work together to produce a reclosable package where the door securely, yet releasably stays closed when closed. Such a top-opening package construction advantageously produces a package of simple, economical, durable and reclosable construction having a blister that is formed of a single sheet of formable material, such as preferably plastic. Such a top-opening reclosable door construction is also well suited for wiper blade packaging applications for releasably retaining an article, such as a wiper blade, having a length that is at least a plurality of pairs of times its width. Such a package can be constructed to have a package length that is at least a plurality of pairs of times package width.

Such a package can be formed of a first sheet of plastic that is thermoformed to produce a package blister that provides an article-retaining cavity defined by an outer wall and an open endwall having a cavity opening defined by a boundary with which a door attached by a hinge releasably engages when the door is closed. The blister can have a closed endwall opposite the open endwall. The outer wall of the blister can be formed by a pair of sidewalls spaced apart by a top wall. Such a package can be formed of another sheet that is a backing sheet that can also be made of a thin sheet of plastic attached to the blister to provide a cavity back wall. Such a backing sheet can also be thermoformed and attached by sealing, such as ultrasonic welding, RF welding, heat sealing, or the like. For example, if desired, an adhesive bonding process can also be employed.

Where made of plastic, one or both sheets can be substantially transparent and made of PET, PETG, PVC, Styrene, a K-resin or the like, which can be from a recycled source. Where made of such a plastic, one or both sheets can have a thickness varying between 0.0075 inches and 0.20 inches with a typical thickness ranging between 0.01 and 0.050 inches. One or both such sheets can include indicia imprinted thereon and can also be configured to receive and retain an indicia-containing card within the article-holding cavity of the package.

An advantage of the present invention is that the end flange of the package blister and door are made shorter, typically not much wider or longer than the hang hole, thereby producing a package that optimizes package volume relative to the retail space the package occupies when hung on a peg of a retail display. Other aspects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description and accompanying drawing figures.

DRAWING DESCRIPTION

One or more preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals represent like parts throughout and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a reclosable door-latching package constructed in accordance with the present invention hung on a peg of a retail display;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the reclosable door-latching package depicted removed from the retail display peg with its door opened;

FIG. 3 is a partial fragmentary view of the package of FIG. 1 with its door open;

FIG. 4 is a partial fragmentary view of the package of FIG. 1 with its door closed;

FIG. 5 is a partial fragmentary exploded view of the package of FIG. 1 with its door open;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary top plan view of the package with its door open;

FIG. 7 is an exploded side elevation view of the package of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 8 is an exploded top end view of the package of FIG. 1 with the door open.

Before explaining one or more embodiments of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments, which can be practiced or carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIGS. 1-8 illustrate a preferred embodiment of a reclosable package 20 constructed in accordance with the present invention having a package body 22 that includes a door 24 attached by a hinge 26 that is pivotable about the hinge 26 between a closed position, such as shown in FIG. 1, and an opened position, such as the opened position depicted in FIG. 2. The package body 22 includes a blister 28 formed of a closed endwall 30 at one end, an outer wall 32, and an open endwall 34 at its other end defining an article-holding cavity 36 in which an article 38, such as an elongate wiper blade 40, is received. The closed endwall 30 lacks any opening and forms an end of the package blister 28 opposite that of the open endwall 34. When the package 20 is hung on a peg 35 of a retail display 37, the closed endwall 30 defines a bottom of the package blister 28 with the open endwall 34 being disposed at the top of the blister 28.

The outer wall 32 is made of more than one wall panel. For example, the package 20 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 has a pair of wall panels 42 and 44 that form blister sidewalls and an outer wall panel 46 extending between the sidewalls 42 and 44, each of which can be substantially planar as depicted. The endwall 30 opposite open endwall 34 can also be substantially planar. In the preferred package embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the open endwall 34 is substantially planar and the closed endwall 30 is substantially planar.

With reference to FIGS. 5-8, extending about the periphery of the blister 28 is a mounting flange 48 that is attached, such as by sealing, e.g., heat-sealing or RF welding, bonding, e.g., adhesive bonding, or the like to a corresponding mounting portion 50, e.g., mounting flange 48, of a backing sheet 52 that forms a back wall 56 of the article-holding cavity 36. The backing sheet 52 can be substantially flat. If desired, the backing sheet 52 can be formed to include an indented or offset portion 53 like that depicted in FIG. 5 that extends into the cavity 36 and forms the back wall 56 of the cavity 36.

The mounting flange 48 of the package body 22 includes at least one end flange 58 and can include a pair of side flanges 60. In a preferred embodiment, the mounting flange 48 of the package body 22 is formed of a pair of end flanges 58 (only one of which is shown in FIG. 5) and a pair of side flanges 60. The mounting portion 50 of the backing sheet 52 can also include a pair of side flanges 51 (only one side flange shown in FIG. 5) and at least one end flange 55 (only one end flange shown in FIG. 5). For example, the indented mounting portion 50 of the backing sheet 52 shown in FIGS. 5-8 has a pair of side flanges 51 (only one side flange shown in FIG. 5) and a pair of end flanges 55 (only one end flange shown in FIG. 5).

As is best shown in FIG. 5, the backing sheet 52 terminates adjacent but inboard the hinge 26 such that the backing sheet 52 does not underlie, overlie or form any part of the hinge 26. As is also depicted by FIG. 5, the top end flange 55 of the backing sheet 52 is spaced from hinge 26 when the backing sheet 50 is attached to the blister 28. With continued reference to FIG. 5, where the backing sheet 52 is of indented construction, the top end flange 55 underlies the intersection 57 between the blister endwall 34 and the blister end flange 58 such that it is spaced from the hinge 26 by about the distance from the intersection 57 to the hinge 26.

The end flange 58 that extends outwardly from the open end wall 34 to the hinge 26 has an opening 64 formed in it for receiving a package holder, such as a rod or peg 35 of an in-store retail display 37. The hang hole 64 can be circular, such as shown in FIGS. 1-4, can have a “butterfly” shape, such as shown in FIGS. 5-6, and can have another shape, such as oval, oblong or the like. Where the end flange 55 of the backing sheet 52 extends outwardly to have a width greater than that shown in FIG. 5, the hang hole 64 can also extend through the end flange 55 of the backing sheet 52. Where that is the case, a corresponding hole (not shown) can be formed in the flange 55 that registers with the hang hole 64 in the blister end flange 58 when the backing sheet 52 is attached to the blister 28.

Hinge 26 can be formed in any conventional manner. Although the hinge 26 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 has a generally U-shaped cross sectional shape, the hinge 26 can have a different cross sectional shape or configuration. Hinge 26 can be a living hinge that is integrally formed such as by being three-dimensionally contoured to produce a hinge. Hinge 26 can also be formed using a score line or the like that may not be readily visibly apparent.

The open endwall 34 of the blister 28 has a cavity opening 66 defined by a cavity-opening boundary 68 having a pair of side edges 70, 72, an inner edge 74 adjacent the end flange 58, and an outer edge 76 adjacent the outer wall panel 46. Open endwall 34 has a margin 78 bordering the cavity opening defining edges 70, 72, 74, 76, is generally planar, and is inclined such that it is acutely angled relative to the backing sheet 52.

Door 24 is attached by an end flange 80 to hinge 26 with the end flange 80 also having an opening 82 extending through it for receiving a package holder, e.g., retail display peg, when the door 24 is closed. As is shown in FIG. 2, peg or hang holes 64 and 82 overlie and substantially align with one another when the door 24 is closed. As with hang hole 64, hang hole or peg hole 82 can be circular as shown, “butterfly” shaped, or have a different shape.

Door 24 has a pair of sidewalls 84, 86 spaced apart by an outer wall 88 with an endwall 90 extending therebetween. Door 24 has an outer edge 92 that can be configured to provide a lip 94 that permits finger or fingernail engagement to facilitate lifting of the door 24 away from the package body 22 to disengage and open the door 24.

The door 24 and blister 28 are configured to provide a reclosable door latching arrangement 96 that enables the door 24 to be opened and closed at least a plurality of times. In a preferred embodiment, the reclosable door latching arrangement 96 is constructed and arranged to enable the door 24 to be opened and closed at least a plurality of pairs, i.e., at least three times, without showing visible signs of damage, enabling a returned article 38 to be put back in the package 20 and returned to the retail display 37.

The reclosable door latching arrangement 96 is configured to provide releasable engagement between the door 24 and the open endwall 34 of the blister 28 to releasably retain the door 24 in the closed position when the door 24 is closed. The reclosable door latching arrangement 96 is configured to provide additional releasable engagement between the door 24 and the outer wall 32 of the blister 28 that also helps keep the door 24 closed. In the preferred embodiment of the package embodiment shown in the drawing figures, the reclosable door latching arrangement 96 is configured to provide further releasable engagement between the door 24 and the outer panel 46 of the outer package wall 32, but can be configured to releasably engage one or both sidewalls 42, 44 instead of or in addition to the outer panel 46.

The reclosable door latching arrangement 96 includes an endwall latching arrangement 98 configured to provide releasable engagement between part of the door 24 and part of the open endwall 34 of the blister 28. As is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the outer wall 88 of the door 24 includes an inwardly extending portion 100 adjacent door end wall 90 that is integrally formed in the door outer wall 88 which engages a portion of the cavity opening boundary 68 formed in the open endwall 34 of the blister 28 when the door 24 is closed. In the package embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the inwardly extending portion 100 includes an undercut 102 integrally formed in the door outer wall 88 that engages a portion of the outer edge 74 of the cavity opening defining boundary 68 formed in the open endwall 34 of the blister 28.

The inwardly extending portion 100 is an indention that has a shape complementary to that of the cavity opening 66 and is configured so it seats in the cavity opening 66 in a manner where it engages with the boundary 68 of the cavity opening 66 when the door 24 is closed. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the indention 100 is generally rectangular, e.g., square, so as to have a shape or configuration substantially complementary with the generally rectangular, e.g., square, cavity opening 66. The indention 100 includes a generally flat panel 104 offset by an outer bevel 106 adjacent door outer wall 90, a pair of side bevels 108, 110 and an inner bevel 112 that is part of or extends along the cavity opening edge engaging undercut 102. At least bevels 106, 108 and 110 are disposed at an angle that frictionally engages one or more of corresponding cavity opening edges 76, 70 and 72 when the indention 100 seats in the endwall cavity opening 66 when the door 24 is closed with the engagement helping to keep the door 24 closed.

Bevels 106, 108 and 110 are outwardly angled such that indented panel 104 has a shape complementary with that of the cavity opening 66 but smaller than the cavity opening 66 so that the panel 104 can be received in the opening 66 with the bevels 106, 108 and 110 engaging a corresponding cavity opening edge 76, 70 and 72 when the door 24 is closed. The friction fit produced by the bevels 106, 108 and 110 frictionally engaging corresponding cavity opening edges 76, 70 and 72 when the door 24 is closed, helps releasably keep the door 24 closed. In a preferred embodiment, each bevel 106, 108 and 110 forms an obtuse included angle with the outer surface 118 of door panel 104.

Undercut 102 is integrally formed of part of an outwardly extending portion 114 that provides a recess 116 that accommodates part of the endwall margin 78 bordering the bottom cavity opening edge 74 when the door 24 is closed. Undercut 102 extends outwardly into the recess 116 defined by outwardly extending portion 114 with the undercut 102 including an extended portion of outer panel 104 that is connected by a beveled portion 118 to the outwardly extending portion 114 that defines cavity opening defining edge accommodating recess 116. Outwardly extending recess-defining portion 114 can be formed of a pair of elongate generally planar surfaces 120, 122 which intersect along a line 124 extending generally parallel to hinge 26. If desired, outwardly extending recess-defining portion 114 can be formed without any intersection line 124, such as where formed of a single curved panel. In such a case, surfaces 120 and 122 would be combined into a single surface or panel having a curved cross section.

When the door 24 is closed, frictional engagement between bevels 106, 108 and 110 helps keep the door 24 closed. When the door 24 is closed, undercut 102 defines a lip that underlies a portion of the cavity endwall 34 that extends along cavity opening defining edge 74 helping to effectively provide an interlock therebetween that helps keep the door 24 closed. When the door 24 is closed, the frictional engagement of door closing can cause deflection of a portion of the indention 100 and/or outwardly extending portion 114 thereby helping to urge the undercut 102 into a position where it further overlies or underlies cavity opening defining edge 74 such that the undercut 102 releasably “locks” underneath the portion of the endwall 34 extending along substantially the entire length of cavity opening defining edge 74. When the door 24 is also engaged with the blister outer wall 32, this “locking” feature in combination with the secondary region of releasable engagement between the door 24 and blister outer wall 32, the door 24 remains positively yet releasably closed until adequate pressure is manually applied, such as along lip 94, to disengage the door 24 from the blister 28.

In a preferred embodiment, such as is depicted by FIG. 6, at least the bevel 106 opposite the undercut 102 engages corresponding cavity opening defining edge 76 when the door 24 is closed with the undercut 102 snapping under part of cavity opening defining edge 74. In another preferred embodiment, side bevels 108 and 110 can also engage respective cavity opening defining side edges 70 and 72 when the door 24 is closed. Such engagement between one or more of bevels 106, 108 and 110 and cavity opening defining edges 76, 70 and 72 is at least frictional and can be configured to provide an interference fit therebetween when the door 24 is closed.

The reclosable latching arrangement 96 includes a region of secondary or additional engagement provided by an endwall latching arrangement 126 that includes at least one latch 130 formed between part of the door 24 and part of the blister outer wall 32 being disposed in releasable engagement with one another when the door 24 is closed. In a preferred embodiment shown in the drawing figures, the second reclosable latching arrangement 130 is formed by a rib 132 formed in the door 24 that is releasable received in a channel 134 formed in an outer wall 32 of the blister 28 defining a bar snap 135. In the preferred package embodiment shown in the drawings, the latching rib 132 of the bar snap 135 is elongate and transversely extending with the rib 132 integrally formed in the end wall 90 of the door 24.

Rib 132 is produced by integrally forming a recessed channel in door end wall 90 and forms a male bar of the bar snap 135. Rib 132 is received in a complementarily configured integrally formed elongate channel 134 of the bar snap 135 that extends transversely substantially the entire width of the outer panel 46 of the package blister outer wall 32. For example, as best shown in FIG. 1, rib-receiving channel 134 extends width-wise along the outer panel 46 from at or adjacent one sidewall panel 42 to the other sidewall panel 44 and forms a female bar of the bar snap 135.

Door latching rib 132 has a generally U-shaped cross-section with a pair of sides 136, 138 spaced apart by a rib endwall 140 that can be substantially planar, such as depicted in FIGS. 1 and 3. Rib-receiving channel 134 has a complementary cross-section with a pair of sides 142, 144 and a channel bottom 146. With reference to FIG. 2, rib sides 136, 138 respectively engage with channel sides 142, 144 when the rib 132 is inserted into the channel 134 when the door 24 is closed. In one embodiment, the rib 132 and channel 134 forming the bar snap 135 are configured so at least one or both of their sides 136, 138, 142, and 144 respectively frictionally engage with one another to help releasably retain the door 24 in the closed position.

The rib 132 and channel 134 can be configured as a bar snap 135 that produces a snap fit therebetween when the rib 132 is received in the channel 134 when the door 24 is closed. For example, rib 132 can be configured to have a width at some point or location, such as along its endwall 140, that is greater than the width of the channel 134 at another point or location, such as between its sides 142, 144, to produce a fit, e.g., interference fit, between the rib 132 and channel 134 that results in a snap fit being provided therebetween when the door 24 is closed. If desired, one or both rib and channel side(s) 136, 138, 142, and 144 can be angled or inclined to facilitate rib and channel engagement, including snap fit engagement.

Various alternatives are contemplated as being within the scope of the following claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter regarded as the invention. It is also to be understood that, although the foregoing description and drawings describe and illustrate in detail one or more preferred embodiments of the present invention, to those skilled in the art to which the present invention relates, the present disclosure will suggest many modifications and constructions, as well as widely differing embodiments and applications without thereby departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. 

1. A reclosable package comprising: a package body having a blister defining an article holding cavity comprised of an outer wall and an endwall having a cavity opening therethrough; a door that operably cooperates with the blister; and wherein the door and blister comprise a reclosable latching arrangement that releasably retains the door when the door is disposed in a closed position and that allows the door to be opened permitting access to the cavity opening.
 2. The reclosable package of claim 1 wherein the reclosable latching arrangement comprises a first latching arrangement configured to provide releasable engagement between the blister endwall and the door and a second latching arrangement configured to provide releasable engagement between the blister outer wall and the door.
 3. The reclosable package of claim 2 wherein the first latching arrangement is configured to provide releasable engagement between part of the door and a cavity opening-defining side of the blister endwall.
 4. The reclosable package of claim 3 wherein the first latching arrangement comprises at least one outwardly extending portion of the door that is received in the cavity when the door is closed engaging at least a portion of the cavity opening-defining side.
 5. The reclosable package of claim 4 wherein the first latching arrangement comprises an indented portion formed in the door that seats in the cavity opening when the door is closed frictionally engaging with the blister endwall along a plurality of cavity sides.
 6. The reclosable package of claim 5 wherein the at least one outwardly extending portion of the door comprises an outwardly extending rib that is disposed in the cavity and bears against part of the cavity opening-defining side when the door is closed.
 7. The reclosable package of claim 6 wherein the package body comprises the door attached to the blister by a hinge and the pocket formed in the endwall is formed along a portion of the cavity-opening defining side disposed adjacent the hinge.
 8. The reclosable package of claim 7 wherein each cavity opening-defining side comprises a cavity-opening defining edge.
 9. The reclosable package of claim 5 wherein the cavity-opening is a generally rectangular cavity opening having a pair of cavity opening defining sides, a cavity opening defining top and a cavity opening defining bottom, and wherein the indented portion is configured to engage one of the cavity opening defining top and bottom.
 10. The reclosable package of claim 9 wherein the indented portion further comprises an undercut.
 11. The reclosable package of claim 10 wherein the undercut produces a snap fit with a corresponding one of the cavity opening defining sides.
 12. The reclosable package of claim 10 wherein the undercut projects outwardly from the indented portion along a portion of the corresponding cavity opening defining side with which it engages when the door is closed.
 13. The reclosable package of claim 10 wherein the undercut extends along one side of the indented portion and the indented portion has another side configured to at least frictionally engage the cavity opening defining side opposite the cavity opening defining side engaged by the undercut.
 14. The reclosable package of claim 2 wherein the second latching arrangement comprises a rib formed in one of the door and outer wall that is received in a channel formed in the other one of the door and blister outer wall.
 15. The reclosable package of claim 14 wherein the second latching arrangement comprises a bar snap.
 16. The reclosable package of claim 15 wherein the bar snap extends generally transversely relative to the blister.
 17. A reclosable package comprising: a package body comprised of a blister defining an article holding cavity comprised of an outer wall and an end wall having a cavity opening therethrough and a door joined by a hinge that is movable between a closed position covering the cavity opening and an open position allowing access to the cavity opening, the door having an endwall and a pair of sidewalls; and wherein the door and blister comprise a reclosable latching arrangement that releasably retains the door when the door is disposed in a closed position, the reclosable latching arrangement comprising a first latching arrangement configured to provide releasable engagement between the door and at least one cavity opening defining edge formed in the blister end wall, and a second latching arrangement configured provide releasable engagement between the door and the outer wall of the blister.
 18. The reclosable package of claim 17 wherein the first latching arrangement comprises an outwardly extending portion of one of the door that is received in a cavity opening formed in the blister end wall.
 19. The reclosable package of claim 18 wherein the outwardly extending portion comprises an upraised portion of the door, the cavity opening comprises a generally rectangular opening having a pair of opposed side cavity opening defining edges, a top or outer cavity opening defining edge, and a bottom or inner cavity opening defining edge, and wherein the upraised portion of the door is configured to engage a plurality of cavity opening defining edges when the door is closed.
 20. The reclosable package of claim 19 wherein the first latching arrangement comprises a cavity opening-defining edge engaging portion of the door that engages a cavity opening defining edge formed in the blister endwall.
 21. The reclosable package of claim 20 wherein the upraised portion of the door is generally rectangular in shape.
 22. The reclosable package of claim 21 wherein the generally rectangular shaped upraised portion further comprises an undercut projecting outwardly therefrom that produces snap fit engagement with a corresponding cavity opening defining edge when the door is closed.
 23. The reclosable package of claim 18 wherein the second latching arrangement comprises a rib formed in one of the door and blister outer wall and a rib-receiving recess formed in the other one of the door and blister outer wall.
 24. The reclosable package of claim 23 wherein the rib and channel are configured to provide a snap fit therebetween when the door is closed.
 25. A reclosable package comprising: a package body having a blister defining an article holding cavity comprised of a pair of sidewall panels, an outer wall panel, and an endwall having a cavity opening therethrough; a door joined by a hinge that is movable between a closed position covering the cavity opening and an open position allowing access to the cavity opening, the door having an endwall and a pair of sidewalls; and wherein the door and blister comprise a reclosable latching arrangement that releasably retains the door when the door is disposed in a closed position, the reclosable latching arrangement comprising a first latching arrangement that includes a cavity opening-defining edge engaging portion of the door that releasably engages a cavity opening defining edge formed in the blister endwall when the door is closed and a second latching arrangement that includes a blister engaging portion of the door that releasably engages part of the blister spaced from the cavity opening when the door is closed that comprises a rib that is releasably received in a recess when the door is closed.
 26. The reclosable package of claim 25 wherein the rib is formed in the door and the recess comprises a channel formed in the outer wall panel of the package blister.
 27. The reclosable package of claim 26 wherein the rib and channel are configured to provide a snap fit therebetween when the door is closed.
 28. The reclosable package of claim 25 wherein the cavity opening-defining edge engaging portion of the door comprises an indented portion having an undercut that projects outwardly therefrom that engages a corresponding cavity opening-defining edge when the door is closed. 